Baylor senior from San Antonio found dead

Updated 2:20 pm, Saturday, March 29, 2014

SAN ANTONIO — A Baylor University senior from San Antonio was found dead in a car Thursday in an apparent suicide.

McLennan County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Matt Cawthon said Joshua Partridge, 21, was found around 11 a.m. in a car marked with signs indicating a biohazard.

Cawthon said it appears a homemade chemical solution of either hydrogen sulfate or hydrogen sulfide had been released inside the small four-door Toyota that Partridge was found in and that was parked just outside the Waco city limits and the Baylor University campus.

Cawthon said suicide by this volatile chemical solution has become something of a trend.

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“The Internet has specific ways to do it, including ways to put haz-mat signage on the windows so first responders aren't harmed,” Cawthon said. “He put a lot of thought into it. He put those symbols up to warn first responders.”

Waco first responders, he said, had recently received special training in how to handle such scenarios.

Hydrogen sulfide, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, can cause eye irritation and respiratory issues in low-concentration exposures. High concentrations can cause rapid unconsciousness, coma and death.

Cawthon said he has been told the process is potentially painless but causes unexpected issues for law enforcement, emergency crews and even funeral homes because of the risk of exposure.